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The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall

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Title Screen

The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall

Also known as: Daggerfall
Developer: Bethesda Softworks
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Platform: DOS
Released in US: September 21, 1996
Released in EU: 1996


CodeIcon.png This game has unused code.
DevTextIcon.png This game has hidden development-related text.
GraphicsIcon.png This game has unused graphics.
ModelsIcon.png This game has unused models.
ItemsIcon.png This game has unused items.
Sgf2-unusedicon1.png This game has unused abilities.
MusicIcon.png This game has unused music.
SoundIcon.png This game has unused sounds.
TextIcon.png This game has unused text.
DebugIcon.png This game has debugging material.
Carts.png This game has revisional differences.


ProtoIcon.png This game has a prototype article
PrereleaseIcon.png This game has a prerelease article
NotesIcon.png This game has a notes page
BugsIcon.png This game has a bugs page

Hmmm...
To do:
There is a whole lot more to cover, like more unused music tracks, unused wardrobe, more unused graphics, unused models, etc. Also, more explaining.

The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall is the second entry in the Elder Scrolls series, and quite possibly one of the most ambitious RPGs of the era. Unfortunately, "ambitious" doesn't mean "not broken" and the game was almost comedically buggy. As a result of the enormous world and unorthodox development methods used to bring it to life, there's a lot of unused content to pore over. Also, VENGEAAAAAAANCE!!

It should be noted that the hex addresses mentioned here apply to version 1.07.213.

Sub-Pages

Read about prototype versions of this game that have been released or dumped.
Prototype Info
Read about prerelease information and/or media for this game.
Prerelease Info
Miscellaneous tidbits that are interesting enough to point out here.
Notes
Read about notable bugs and errors in this game.
Bugs
DevTextIcon.png
Unused Text
Read about the many pieces of unsaid dialogue...and lyrics to bard songs.
Daggerfalltexture185record0test.png
Unused Graphics
So much art was made for this game, yet it feels like so little was actually used.
Carts.png
Revision Differences
Loads of fixes, as well as some gameplay re-balances.

Debugging Features

Debug Keys

Quest flag information.

Due to the massive number of bugs with wonky collision detection in the dungeons, usually resulting to the player falling into black pits, Bethesda eventually released a patch that re-enabled some debugging features to the public.

By patching the game to v. 1.07.213, one can enter cheatmode 1 into z.cfg to turn on these debugging features.

While playing the game, the player can press the following keys:

  • 1 - Sets the Max Speed to 6 times the current value.
  • Control + F1 - Activate all maps on the fast travel map.
  • Control + F4 - Enable Invulnerability.
  • Control + F9 - Get 5000 Gold.
  • Alt + F11 - Teleport out of the void.
  • -/_ and =/+ - Raise reputation and skills.
  • [/{ and }/] - Go to various quest locations.
  • ' and F9 - Display quest flag information.

Keep in mind that DosBox's mapped keys might have to be changed before booting the game up with cheatmode.

There is also the ability to put debug 1 into z.cfg. However, it does not seem to work, at all. Trying to start a new game or going to a different map causes the game to crash, due to errors in blocks.bsa. Loading a game does not seem to affect the game in any way.

Hmmm...
To do:
See if one can get this to work.

Debug Menu

Hmmm...
To do:
Better documentation.

A debug menu exists, but no key combination appears to access it without hacking. By replacing the pointer for the transport menu (at hex address 98651) with the one for the debug menu (at hex address 44E52), one can access this menu. This text for this debug menu can be found in FALL.EXE, beginning at 1AA57C and ending at 1AA642 (in version 1.07.213).

Menu Option Effect
Get rumor Get a random rumor.
Advance level The game advances your character by one level.
Jump 1 month Skip a month in the game's time.
Good merchant rep Have a better reputation among merchants.
Become Vampire Does exactly what it says.
Cure Vampire The player is no longer a vampire.
Become Werething The player turns into a werewolf or wereboar.
Cure Werething The player is no longer either of the above.
Toggle World Position Unknown.
Toggle Second Compass A blue compass is drawn on the HUD.
Pick pockets Pick random pockets and get more gold.
Generate Songs Unknown.
Enter Tavern Unknown.
(Source: LehaFireHead (Debug Menu activation), Divingkataetheweirdo (Text))

World Map

The overworld map has barely any fluctuation to it in the final game, being mainly flat ground with some bumps here and there. However, the game's world map data indicates that it was supposed to be much more detailed, with mountains and waterfalls being present.

Cybiades

The island of Cybiades is its own region in the game's world, but has only a single dungeon, hidden by default, on it. Since the player can only obtain the location of dungeons for the region the player is in, this dungeon is impossible to find without knowing its exact location beforehand. Just getting to the island requires unreasonable effort as the player can't fast travel to the island since it has no locations visible by default, requiring the player to water walk across the bay from Sentinel in real time. Since the island's location does not properly align to the map location (the map indicates the dungeon is actually in water), even this is impossible without out of game knowledge. Despite all the problems with the island, it boasts a full political faction associated with it that goes totally unused even if the player does manage to find the single dungeon.

Unused NPCs

While most of these NPCs have entries in the game's political factions file, they aren't placed anywhere in the game's maps and thus don't make an appearance.

Archmagister

While several references are made to this character, he does not make a proper appearance.

Baroness Dh'emka

Baron Shrike

He has a unique portrait, but no unique sprite.

Farrington

Farrington also has a portrait, but he uses a generic Breton sprite.

Skakmat

While Skakmat is referenced in the game, it's never seen at any point. Skakmat is notable for being one of the few unused characters without a sprite specified in its political factions entry. Instead, a model would have been used. Skakmat does have a portrait as well as textures for what would presumably be his model. However, the corresponding model doesn't seem to exist in the game's data. According to his website, Mark Jones was the one that modeled the dragon and he claims that it was long since lost because of a server change at Bethesda. The only thing that remains are the textures and the Daedra Seducer's wing flapping animation (as said animation was recycled for said enemy).

(Source: Mark Jones' website page for Daggerfall.)

Unused Quest - A Test of Determination

There is a quest that was accidentally dummied out. It is a quest for the Vampire Clan. The player's given objective for the quest is to confront a Daedra in the local dungeon where it lives.

The problem is that the quest files of this quest are misnamed; the binary file is named P0B1XL08.QBN and the text-file P0B10L08.QRC. As a result of this oversight, the player can never get this quest unless you change the name of one file so that it matches the name of the other.

More can be read about this quest here.

(Source: UESP Wiki)

Order of the Lamp

Need a light?
The Order of the Lamp has data set up, but there is no NPC in the actual game related to this. There is an interface graphic for asking and joining the Order of the Lamp. Text explaining who they were also can be found in TEXT.RSC between 22757 and ends at 2282B.

We of the Order of the Lamp are the protectors of the Mages Guild. We follow the Palantinus, under direct orders from the Archmagister.
We are given appropriate rights to certain services at the Mages Guild. One's rank within the Order approximates ones rank within the Guild, in terms of rights and priveleges.
The Order is only open to those who have already demonstrated fighting skills and are in good standing with the Mages Guild.

Notebook

Notebook.exeNotebook.exeDaggerfallnotebookeditorbuttons.png
In the final game, the notebook is a simple copy-and-paste log. It was initially supposed to be more like a text editor. There are some graphics remaining of this iteration of the notebook that can be found in the game's data. In addition, two text strings are present in TEXT.RSC between 1FE3E and ends at 1FE64:

This page is full. Start a new scroll.
The word you seek does not appear in your notes.

Furniture

It appears that at one point in development, furniture was planned to be in the game, which would have allowed players to customize their houses. Furniture stores are in the final game, but they serve as hideouts and they don't buy or sell anything. No artwork appears to be associated with any of the items, except the pillows, suggesting the concept might not have gone far in development or the art was deleted at some point. The data begins at 1B90DA and ends at 1B964A in fall.exe.

Item Name Weight Hit Points Base Price Enchant Points
Plain single bed 1400 100 100 200
Fancy single bed 1500 150 150 300
Plain double bed 2800 150 150 300
Fancy double bed 3000 250 200 300
Large oak table 2200 150 100 250
Large cherry table 2200 150 150 250
Large mahogany table 2200 150 200 275
Large teak table 2200 150 225 300
Small oak table 800 100 50 120
Small cherry table 800 100 75 120
Small mahogany table 800 100 100 130
Small teak table 800 100 115 150
Oak chair 40 50 35 50
Cherry chair 40 50 55 50
Mahogany chair 40 70 70 60
Teak chair 40 70 95 80
Curtains 8 30 15 120
Fancy curtains 16 30 40 200
Large pillow 4 10 3 20
Small pillow 1 7 1 10
Small plain rug 40 30 40 100
Large plain rug 160 50 70 200
Small fine rug 40 30 70 300
Large fine rug 160 50 140 500
Large tapestry 120 70 100 600
Medium tapestry 40 60 50 450
Small tapestry 16 50 10 300
Large skins 160 150 20 200
Small skins 32 100 5 100

Unused Models

DF-Castle Llugwych correct.png

Castle Llugwych has its own unique model coded in the game. However, by default, it uses Direnni Tower's model instead, leaving said unique model unused without hacking.

(Source: DelphiSnake)

Unused Areas

Unused Region Names

While there are plenty of regions in Daggerfall, there are also a number of region names mentioned in the executable without any point in the game's world that references them.

Region Number Region Name
02 Glenpoint Foothills
03 Daggerfall Bluffs
07 Devilrock
08 Malekna Forest
10 Bantha
12 The Islands in the Western Iliac Bay
13 Tamarilyn Point
14 Lainlyn Cliffs
15 Bjoulsae River
24 Gen Tem High Rock village
25 Gen Rai Hammerfell village
27 Skeffington Wood
28 Hammerfell bay coast
29 Hammerfell sea coast
30 High Rock bay coast
(Source: UESP Wiki)

Unused City Name

At 1BD040 inside fall.exe, a city name never used in the game can be seen: Miletus. It's unknown where it would have been.

Unused Block Entry

The Knights of The Moon have a record block allocated for them under KMOO in BLOCKS.BSA. However, they aren't used for any building in the game.

Unused Music

Sound Name Sound Notes
09
This, as well as the following few tracks, are lumped together in one group in the .EXE

These were likely used for sneaking around in locations.

16
25
30
GSNEAK2
SNEAKING
SNEAKNG2
This track was used in Arena for trespassing.
D1
An unused music track meant to be used in dungeons.
17
A rather dramatic sounding track that would have been used inside knightly orders.

Unused Sounds

The game has several duplicates of the hurt sound from Doom hidden with the other sound effects, undoubtedly used as placeholders.

Sound Number (via Daggerfall Jukebox) Sound Notes
34
A leftover from Arena;
it was used there for gaining
a level of experience.
35
Another leftover from Arena;
it was used for collecting a piece
of the Staff of Chaos.
40
Ghost sound from Arena.
41
Ghoul sound from Arena.
??
Fire Daemon sound from Arena.
47
A different take on the
"HALT!" soundbyte used by the guards.

Screenshot Capturing

By default, this is disabled as the game's directory lacks a PICS folder. Creating one allows the player to press / (Slash) to take a BMP screenshot. The game starts overwriting screenshots after 10 have been taken.

Directory Listing

A directory listing from someone's hard drive can be found in BLOCKS.BSA. Needless to say, the game never uses any of this. Also, it seems like the hard drive is a 540 MB Quantum Fireball, judging by the drive name and the total amount of bytes it has. This listing starts at 10D49CF and ends at 10E1647.

Download.png Download Daggerfall Directory Listing
File: Daggerfall-DirectoryListing.zip (info)